Example doodle - Simple Tree Review

The doodle below is one of over 30 doodles on the Interactive
Watercolour CD. Many in video format.

The doodle displays and runs here as it does on the CD. Some links which,
on the CD, go to other sections of the CD are directed to an alternative
information page.
Click on the blue arrows to go forward or back.

Doodles: Simple Tree, Review:

Main problems which can arise in the painting:

The broken wash is not easy to do, it
takes practice. It's easier to do with a rough paper so if your paper is
relatively smooth you may have to drag the brush more delicately to get the
effect. It's normal to get a few spots of paint flicking from the brush to
the paper when dragging the brush in this way. Just blot them up with a
tissue. See the brush skills section if you are
having trouble getting the effect.

The most common problem with brush stroke is dabbing with
the side of the brush rather than dragging the brush. This results in a
'blobby' looking tree.

When most people start to paint trees it's an automatic
process to paint the foliage in a symmetrical shape or even make it round or
triangular. Try to make the two sides of the tree different as this is much
more interesting in a painting than a boring symmetrical shape.

The initial washes not being wet enough so that the paint
being dropped into it doesn't diffuse. The initial washes should be almost
like water and should still be glistening. See the
techniques section for more help on wet-in-wet. See the
Paint and Colour section to see different
strength paint mixes.

The second wash disappearing into the first wash. The
thickness of each wash determines how it will react with the wash already on
the paper. The thicker the second wash is, the less it will travel into the
wash on the paper. See the techniques section
for more help on wet-in-wet.

When doing wet in wet and dropping in, it's essential to
work relatively quickly and before you start laying the first wash, have
ready all the wash mixes and colours to be dropped in. As you progress with
these relatively small areas of paint you will find that you have time to
add and mix colours as you paint.

Getting
backruns by dropping in washes which are
wetter than the paint already on the paper. Rather than 'wet in wet', think
'damp in damper' Backruns can sometimes be a bonus as they can produce some
really natural looking effects but at this stage try to avoid getting them.

Difficulty with the trunk and branch shapes. This can be
because a rigger is not being used or because you need practice with the
rigger. Just sit for a couple of hours doing nothing but paint winter trees
with the rigger. Look in the resources section
for examples. It's also natural to make the trunk straight but they are much
more interesting if they are bent or curly - as long as the tree still looks
generally in balance.

If you're having trouble with any of the brush strokes,
review the section on brush skills.

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